Feed-trough for poultry-crates.



, D. L. QUINN.

FEED THOUGH FOR POULTRY CRATES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1916.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

yz I

aarnn nine,

DON I1. QUINN, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO MILL AND LUMBER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Lasagna,

Application filed October 14, 1916.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Dex L. QUINN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Oak Park, county ofOook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Troughs for Poultry-Crates, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of the invention are to provide an improved form of feed trough which may be formed of water proofed fiber board paper, or other inexpensive sheet material, and particularly suitable for attachment to shipping crates for poultry.

A specific embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a poultry crate provided with the improved trough.

Fig. 2 is a detail showing the form of and method of scoring the blank from which the trough is formed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail showing the mortised joint of the end frames.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan of the feed trough withthe adjacent parts of the crate shown in section.

In the poultry trade at the present time there are in use large quantities of poultry crates or coops designed with a view to making them so inexpensive that they can be profitably used for one-way shipments and then destroyed. Usually such crates are not provided with feed and water receptacles because of the additional expense involved, and the stock shipped in them is either not fed or watered at all, or the feed is merely thrown into the crate. The herein described invention is particularly applicable to shipping crates of this kind because it has the important qualities of being ex tremely inexpensive to manufacture, easy to apply to the crate, readily foldable against the crate when not in use, amply durable for the purpose of one-way shipment, both sanitary and eflicient as a food container, and at the same time capable of being shipped or stored in quantity in a minimum of space.

A typical form of wire bound veneer oneway shipping crate is shown in the drawings with the improved feed trough applied thereto.

In the form shown the crate comprises a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 15, 191%.

Serial No. 125,579.

mat consisting of a bottom or floor 2 and a series of parallel slats 3, all made of thin veneer boards of equal length and bound together at their ends and middle portions by means of wires l, which are secured by staples to the individual boards or slats. The bottom is reinforced by end frame bars 5, those of the slats 3 which form the top are also attached at their ends to end frame bars 6 by the same staples which connect them to the end wires 4:, and those of the slats 3 which are to form the sides of the assembled crate are similarly connected to end frame bars 7. The end panels are formed separate from said mat, and coin prise top and bottom frame bars 8 and 9 spaced apart and connected together by upright veneer slats 10. The frame bars 5, 6, 8, and 9 are provided with tenons on their ends which engage mortises in the ends of the upright end bars 7 These mortises and tenons are illustrated in the fragmentary detail Fig. 4.

When the crate is assembled the end frame is placed with the slats 10 toward the inside, thus providing a convenient place for the feed trough 1, as will appear from Fig. 1. In the form shown the feed trough 1 comprises a rectangular blank of suitable sheet material, such as water proofed fiber board, which is provided with a longitudinal score 12 branching at each end into three scores 13, 14, and 15, the scores 14 and 15 being on the same side of the sheet as the score 12, and the score 13 being on the opposite side but in line with the score 12. The trough is formed by bending the sheet along the score 12 and pressing the triangular end portions between the scores 14 and 15 inward, as will appear from Fig. 1, thus forming a water-tight trough with closed bifurcated ends. The length of the trough is such that when the trough is seated in place on the end bar 9, as shown in Fig. 1, its bifurcated ends may be caused to straddle the upright end frame bars 7 of the crate, the inner corner portions or ears 19 being inserted behind the end bars 7, and the outer end portions or ears 18 may then be nailed or otherwise fastened to the upright 7 to prevent displacement of the trough. By having the diagonal scores 14 and 15 meet the ends of the trough blank inward ofthe sides thereof, it will be necessary to drive the nails or tacks through only the inner side offsaid, trough 1n the plane Of SZiICl frameand atsaid trough eompi-ls'ing 'a a single thickness of material. The side 16 of the trough lies against the slats 10 of the crate While the side 17 naturally bows outward. It is therefore desirable to have the fold 12 located nearer the sidei'l6 so'tha't'i the bowed edge of the wall 17 will stand at a sui'hc'ient height to hold the desired amount of water. H Means, such as a wire ehp"20 slidably mounted on one of the slats lQ, may bepro- \ided for holding the trough in a' fold ed position close against the slats 10 whenitf is .u'otinuse.- p p When the trough is to be applied 'tjo'the crate, it first folded alongtl'ie'score lines;

which are coinparati ely limber, andis then secured in place by insertingthe ear-s19 behind the u nights 7, whereb therear w all l6 of'the trough is held si stantially by irtu eof'the slats lOoii on'e sid e and the member 7 are then fastened to the uprights? "by any convenient nieans, as for'instan'ce nails or screws.

, For separate return shipment, the feed troughs may be removed new the (-ratesby withdrawing the nails or other tasteinngs from the ears 18, thus releasing the ti'oiigh,

whereupon [it may be straightened oiit fl at by irtue of the limbe'r fold lines. When a quantity of the troughs hate been' chll'eeted,

they maybe bundled together flat an'd r'eturned to the poultry shipper for further use. H v

Although but one specific embodiment of thisil'ivention is herein shown and described,

it will be understood that thespecific form of trough shown is capable considerable m ruinted'on the crateadapted to retain one wall of saidtrhugh agaiiist the other.' 2. A poultry crate having? a"re'ct'angular end frame provided with slats 'iittacli'edth frame, and a feed ta'ohed thereto,

strip of sheet iiia'terialj' bent into the form of a trough with the central portion of its el ids on the oppositeside. The ears l8 bent inwardly and upwardly to close the en ds of the trough and form projectingear s thereon, one ofsaid ears at each end of the trough being secured to the end members of the. said frame;

3. A poultry crate hzwing a rectangular end frame EPIOVlClGd with slats attached to the inner side of said frame, and a feed troiigh in theplane' of said frame and resting on the bottom member of said frame, said trough comprising a s'tripfof sheet materialbenfiiiito the form of a trough with the central po'rt'ion'of its endshelit inwardly andupwardly to close the ends of the trough an(1"fo1"1n. projecting ears thereon, one of said ears at each end of the trough being secured to the end members of the said frame.

4- .A l eluding a rectangular frame and a plurality of inwardly disposed slats attached to' the upper and lower frame members, in combination with a' feed trough inthe' form of a poultry crate, comprising a wall in:

stripof sheet material hayingitsends foldedi upward medially for closin -amends "of'the troilgh and proyiding front and irear gears tlier'eon,'sa1d trough being mounted 'i'nt'erl with two ofits' ears behind the. end frame orlyof said frame and against said slats members respectively and With the ether two ears secured to the front sides. of said members respectively.

5. Apoultry feed trough, comprising a suitably folded reetangiilafl'stripof sheet material of the nature of fiber-'bj i lfd said strip hayinga lengthwisescore and branch scores near the ends of the' 'stripradiatingfrom said lengthwise Scotsman-awe ner's'of the strip by virtue ofw ich' saidstrip has limber fold lines, whereby without brehkiing it m aybe bent along-said lines into the form of a trough with closed ends and with a pair of longitudinal arms spaced apart at each end;

a it feed trough for poultry, comprising a strip of fiber-board hayinght each'end three scores radiating from apo nt near the end toward the ad aCentcQr'ners and a medial poin't'on the end respectivelyp the score bemg on one s1de ofsaidfstrip and-the othitwh being on the opposite side whereby sati'd strip isrende'redlimberalohg'the score 1m'e's',"an'anaay be'bent correspondingly along" said lines into the form of wneugu with closed ends "signal at Chicago this 12th" day or oetober, 1916.

noN QUINN.

cap'ies or this patnvfiiay-be obtained for'fiye cents each; byaddrssing" the cmiimii'aifemr Patents.

wailiiiigton, 'II." C. 

